-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of Toby Donaldson
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2005 7:37 PM
To: edu-sig@python.org
Subject: Re: [Edu-sig] Python for CS101
I've spoken to a few teachers at a school that tried the Scheme-first
approach
I've spoken to a few teachers at a school that tried the Scheme-first
approach, and the students generally *hated* it. I've talked to students
who
took a CS2 data structures and algorithms course in LISP, and they claimed
to *hate* the course --- while at the same time saying LISP was lots of
For instance, to write an efficient queue data structure (where adding
and removing form the queue are always constant-time operations) in
LISP/Scheme requires using arrays.
Hi Toby,
I don't think this is a valid criticism. If the point of using a queue is
to teach how to write an efficient
On 4/30/05, Dan Crosta [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
In fact, the only areas I think Python is *not* suitable are low-level
architecture-dependent programming. Our architecture class does
CPU/memory stress testing using C, and our operating systems classes
should also probably use it.
There is
Toby Donaldson wrote:
For instance, to write an efficient queue data structure (where adding
and removing form the queue are always constant-time operations) in
LISP/Scheme requires using arrays.
Hi Toby,
I don't think this is a valid criticism. If the point of using a queue is
to teach how
-Original Message-
From: Kirby Urner [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; edu-sig@python.org
I'm not sure why you think doing Python on top of .NET is a move towards
cookie-cutter training-for-industry style programming. It's pretty much
the
same Python, in terms of
Not arguing against closed source - per se. But if that is important to
industry, let industry bear the training costs.
Art
I don't yet have a clear grasp of what parts of the .NET architecture would
be closed to a Python developer. Good question though.
In the case of Mono, the .NET
Let's hypothecate that C# might look a lot more like Python had it not had
that particular design requirement.
It's somewhat inherent that compiled languages have this no source code
needed option. Python is the same way on Windows; this giant DLL in
c:\windows\system, compiled from C. You
I also find it interesting that most of us here are considering it as an
alternative to either C++ or Java, but aren't mentioning Scheme (which has
been an intro CS language at MIT for some time).
I love Scheme and LISP, and I actually considered using it as a CS1/CS0
language a few years ago.
-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of Dan Crosta
Sent: Saturday, April 30, 2005 12:46 PM
To: edu-sig@python.org
Subject: Re: [Edu-sig] Python for CS101
In fact, the only areas I think Python is *not* suitable are low-level
Also, down the road, I can see a CS curriculum which is pretty .NET centric,
To me, the spirit of Python and .Net are quite unaligned.
It seems that many of us who feel aligned with Python
feel aligned with it in spirit, more than in anything in
particular in its syntax and semantics.
If we
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Also, down the road, I can see a CS curriculum which is pretty .NET centric,
To me, the spirit of Python and .Net are quite unaligned.
[Snip...]
It is also no small thing to me to feel inhibited
from mentioning Ted's entry and hoping to stimulate some
I don't think it unreasonable to try to keep alive the notion that
at least certain kinds of academic institutions
would and should remain a degree removed from idea of
training, and a degree committed to the idea of
stimulating the development of more abstract skills
by way of a less goal
As a follow up note to my earlier comments, it might be worth
considering why the current language (at Swat, currently C, but
transitioning to Java) is used in the intro course? Certainly C at least
is a language worth knowing as a computer scientist, but need it be
introduced to students who've
Dan Crosta wrote:
the current language (at Swat, currently C, but transitioning to Java)
is used in the intro course? Certainly C at least is a language worth
knowing as a computer scientist, but need it be introduced to students
who've never used anything other than Windows or Mac OS?
Of course, I believe that Python is the ideal language for CS101.
Otherwise, I would probably not be so interested in this list ;-)
Here are some arguments that I have not seen (except for the first one)
in the current thread.
1. Python is often described as executable pseudocode.
2. Python
16 matches
Mail list logo
